Shoe and slip cover therefor



July 27, 1965 v. J. THOMPSON SHOE AND SLIP COVER THEREFOR Filed Sept. 2l, 1964 IN VENTOR.

BY I ,0

United States Patent O 3,196,559 SEIE AND SLIP CVER THEREFR Vivienne J. Thompson, 787 N. Waterview, Clermont, Fia. Filed Sept. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 338,011 3 Claims. (Cl. li-2.5)

This invention relates to shoes, and to slip covers for shoes, and particularly to ladies dress shoes and to slip covers therefor, and has for an object the provision of a shoe and a slip cover therefor which may be readily put on and taken off of the shoe and which shall fit snugly and neatly on the shoe and make an attractive appearance.

Another object of my invention is to provide a slip cover which shall give an attractive styling to a shoe and match or complement a ladys costume.

A further object of my invention is to provide a slip cover which may be made of various materials and colors whereby to provide a variety of styles and colors with a single pair of shoes.

A more particular object of my invention is to provide a ladys dress shoe and slip cover therefor which shall have improved means for attaching and fitting it to the shoe and which shall vbe capable of holding the cover firmly in place.

My invention further contemplates a slip cover for use with ladies dress shoes having interchangeable heels, thereby providing a still greater variety of style and appearance to the shoes.

Slip covers for shoes have heretofore been proposed but all with which I am familiar have involved comt plicated means for attaching the cover to the shoe which made it difficult to obtain a neat appearance. It is accordingly a principal object of my invention to provide attaching means for the cover which shall be concealed when the cover is applied and which holds the cover snugly over the shoe in such a fashion that it is not apparent that a cover is being worn.

In accordance with my invention I provide a ladys dress shoe of the normal pump design and mount one i half of a slide fastener around the upper edge of the shoe upper. The shoe is also preferably provided with interchangeable heels of different colors and different heights. The shoe is basic and may be Worn without a cover, but when so worn, an ornamental trim is secured by a slide fastener to the upper edge of the shoe upper.

It is contemplated that the wearer of the shoe will provide herself with a plurality of my improved slip covers which may be of different colors and fabrics, each presenting a different appearance to the others. Each of my slip covers tits snugly over the shoe and its upper edge is provided with one half of a slide fastener matching that on the upper half of the shoe and by means of which it is attached to the shoe. Along the forward, lower edge of the cover is provided a metal, or other rigid strip, which is bent under to engage the protruding edge of the sole of the shoe. Connecting the cover across, under the shank, of the shoe, and also around the heel and under the counter of the shoe, is a strip of elastic material which serves to draw the cover snugly over the shoe and present a neat appearance. It also connects to the ends of the rigid sole engaging strip and serves to hold it in rm engagement with the sole.

These and other features of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a ladys shoe of the dress pump variety having my improved slip cover applied thereto;

FiG. 2 is an elevational view showing my improved slip cover removed from the shoe;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the slip cover;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional View taken approximately along the line 5 5 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 7 is a detail View similar to FIG. 6 showing the shoe as worn without the cover but with an ornamental trim around the upper edge.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, I show a ladys dress pump style of shoe comprising an upper 10, which includes a vamp 9, a sole 11, a heel 12, a toe 13, and a counter 14. The term upper as used herein may sometimes refer to the entire upper structure of the shoe and also of the cover. One half of a slide fastener 16 extends all the way around the upper, beginning and ending on the side of each shoe between the feet of the wearer as indicated in dotted lines at 17 in FIG. l.

Preferably the heel 12 is detachable, whereby heels of different heights and different colors may be employed interchangeably. Interchangeable heels are well known in the art and the specific manner by which the heel is attached to the shoe forms no part of my present invention. For example, the construction shown in the patent t0 H. H. Kidder, No. 2,267,926, dated Dec. 30, 1941, shows one way of removably attaching a heel to a shoe. In accordance with my invention it is contemplated that heels matching or complementing my improved shoe covers may be attached to, and removed from, the shoe.

My improved shoe cover, shown separately from the shoe in FIGS. 2 and 3, may be made of any suitable flexible material to t the shoe. It comprises an upper 10a with one half a slide fastener 18 around the top edge to cooperate with the slide fastener 16 on the shoe. The tab for operating the slide fastener is carried by the cover on its inner side as shown in dotted lines at 19.

In order to hide the half of the slide fastener around the upper edge of the shoe, when the slip cover is not worn, I provide a strip of ornamental trim 21 which extends around the top edge of the shoe and is secured thereto by a cooperating half of a slide fastener 21a, as shown in FIG. 7. When thus worn the appearance of the shoe is not marred by the slide fastener half around the upper edge.

Secured along the lower edge of the cover by any suitable means, and extending rearwardly to the beginning of the shank portion 22, of the shoe is a thin strip of metal or other rigid material 23 which is shaped to lit about the sole 11 and is bent under at 24 to provide a groove to engage the sole of the shoe.

The cover is provided with a bottom 26 which is made of elastic material and is joined to the rear of the metal strip 23 at 27 and 23. The bottom extends rearwardly beneath the heel portion 29 of the sole and is provided with a hole 31 to receive the heel 12 of the shoe. The bottom 26, being made of elastic material draws the cover snugl; over the shoe, holds the metal strip 23, 24, in rm engagement with the sole, and ts snugly about the heel of the shoe.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided an improved shoe, together with covers therefor, which is simple of design and manufacture and which is effective to provide the wearer with means to change the style and appearance of a single pair of shoes to match, or complement, the remainder of her costume.

vWhile I have shown my invention in but one form it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but that it is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a shoe having an upper and a sole,

(a) a shoe cover fitting snugly over the shoe,

(b) means 'for attaching the cover to the upper edge of the shoe upper,

(c) a rigid member joined to the lower forward edge and toe of the cover and engaging the sole,

(d) and an elastic member joined to the lower edge of the cover on opposite sides of the shoe and extending across under the shank of the shoe to draw the cover down snugly over the shoe and to hold the rigid member in engagement with the sole.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the means for attaching the cover to the upper edge of the shoe comprises a slide fastener cooperating between the upper edge of the shoe and the cover.

3. In combination with a shoe having an upper, a heel, a sole and a slide fastener extending around the Y upper edge of the shoe upper;

a cover for varying the appearance of the shoe, comprising (a) an upper portion having a slide fastener extending around the upper edge thereof for attaching it to the shoe,

(b) a metal strip joined to the lower forward edge of the upper portion and extending rearwardly part way of the cover,

(c) a groove formed on the metal strip for attaching it to the sole of the shoe, and

(d) an elastic strip joined to the ends of the metal strip and to opposite sides of the shank portion to the cover and extending across under the shoe to pull the cover neatly over the shoe, said elastic strip also being provided with a hole for receiving the heel of the shoe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,013,700 9/ 35 Savale 36-2.5 2,207,306 7/40 Taaler 36-2.5 2,345,187 3/44 Evans 36-2.5 2,491,930 12/49 Parlante s 36-2.5 2,493,154 l/50 Mavrakis 36-2.5 2,809,449 10/57 Smith du 36--2.5 2,873,540 2/59 Murphy 36-25 3,012,340 12/61 Reinhart 36-2.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 419,647 4/47 Italy.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SHOE HAVING AN UPPER AND A SOLE, (A) A SHOE COVER FITTING SNUGLY OVER THE SHOE, (B) MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE COVER TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE SHOE UPPER, (C) A RIGID MEMBER JOINED TO THE LOWER FORWARD EDGE AND TOE OF THE COVER AND ENGAGING SOLE, (D) AND AN ELASTIC MEMBER JOINED TO THE LOWER EDGE OF THE COVER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SHOE AND EXTENDING ACROSS UNDER THE SHANK OF THE SHOE TO DRAW THE COVER DOWN SNUGLY OVER THE SHOE AND TO HOLD THE RIGID MEMBER IN ENGAGEMANT WITH THE SOLE. 